Ruler [Blood Magic, Book 3]

Chapter 60: Cella and Rook

By the time we arrived back downstairs Keel was already in the process of wrapping up his negotiations with the sorcerers. His tie hung loose at his neck and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone, but there were also laughter and boasts and a sudden camaraderie I dreamed of but never expected to see between our species. His suit jacket may have been slung over the back of his chair and his sleeves rolled up, but it had been in service to hard work, not aggression, and it didn't surprise me that Keel had won them over. He may not have had extensive training in interspecies diplomacy but he had a way with people, especially when I wasn't in the room getting in the way.

Both men turned to Kristiana when the three of us re-entered the conference room.

"Verdict?" Santos said.

"It is as they say it is," Kristiana told him. "As many of us have suspected the League is playing games."

"I suppose Ashley is already off to warn the families," Arthur said.

"She is rather singular in her work," Kristiana said.

"Indeed, she is," Santos agreed.

Kristiana had turned to Keel before Santos had finished speaking. "King Argarast." She didn't wait for him to acknowledge her. "Your wife is woefully unprepared to face sorcerers. If their army comes equipped with anyone practicing Seeing Magic I'm afraid they'll be able to read her as easily as I have. I understand you do not have much time to spend in the city, given the hostilities, but if you could spare a day, it might make all the difference."

Keel stared at her; I could tell he was trying to read her face, searching its lines for signs of deception or ulterior motives. Kristiana held his gaze and did not waver.

My father, however, was practically shaking with anger. His fingers dug deep into the back of his chair as he glared at the middle-aged woman.

"What did you do to her, Kristiana?" he demanded.

Keel tensed; this accusation immediately sent him on the offensive, if anyone had so much as-

"I laid on hands, took a read," Kristiana said, remaining calm, despite the unease escalating around her.

"You did what?" My father's question boomed around us, and Bruce shut the boardroom door. This wasn't exactly the type of conversation we'd want humans eavesdropping on. "Without warning us, without giving us the right to reject?" my father continued, only growing louder.

"She couldn't be tainted. I needed to know that what I saw in her was the truth, so no, you couldn't know."

"It's a crime to-"

"Just being here is a crime," Kristiana said. "We reserve the right to protect ourselves from potential dangers and threats."

"I don't understand what the big deal is," I cut in. "It didn't hurt."

"By laying on hands, she can not only know you but all your secrets as well," Ephraim explained. "Seeing Magic sees all."

I felt a little sick, and sank into the nearest chair, wondering just how sharp Kristiana's powers were and what detail they returned stuff in.

"I never expected that you would leave her so utterly unprotected," Kristiana said to Ephraim. Her calm had now given way to biting disapproval.

"Enough!" Keel's voice silenced the room. "What secrets does she know?"

For the first time since the argument had begun, Kristiana paled. "I don't care about the skeletons in your closets," she said as much to me as to Keel and my father. "I think it's fair to say that if you're standing in this room you probably have more than one, be you Nosferatu or sorcerer. Point is, there's a lot of disinformation floating around about these two, and this was the quickest and simplest way to sort it out." When neither Keel nor my father seemed to lose any of their indignation, she said, "If you really want, you can both debrief me at your leisure, but I'd rather get some rest so I can teach Queen Argarast some of the protection spells she really needs to know. That is, of course, if you can stay."